Video of Hizbul militant goes viral, police register case

The Jammu and Kashmir police have registered a case after a video by Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani calling upon Kashmiri youth to join militancy went viral in the state on Wednesday.

Burhan, 21, whose group photo with fellow militants was making the rounds on social media in July, has come up with a five-minute video message aimed at recruiting militants.

"We are probing the matter and will take necessary action," Inspector General of Police Javaid Mustafa Gillani told IANS.

Posing with an AK-47 and the Quran placed in front of him, Burhan urges the youth of valley to take up arms 'in the name of religion'.

Waheed-Ur-Rehman Parra, the political analyst to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, said people like Burhan should come back to their respective homes.

But he ruled out any move to block access to the video. "We cannot block people's access to the Internet. The social media will not be gagged," Parra told IANS.

Asked about reports of youth getting lured towards militancy, Parra said the state government is taking initiatives so that the youth have a direction in life.

"Kashmiri youth have a lot of potential. We want to give them a direction and we are coming up with different policies. There is a feeling in the youth of being unwanted. We are trying to engage them in different cultural and political activities," Parra said.

Burhan Wani, a student from South Kashmir's Tral is seen as the new face of militancy in Kashmir. He left home in 2010, days ahead of his Class 10 examination to join the Hizbul Mujahideen.